Award-winning YA series The Specialists - Blog Tour

Today, we welcome Shannon Greenland and her award-winning YA series The Specialists, which is being released in ebook format by Penguin Publishing.

Hi, Shannon. Thanks for joining us today.

For this post I thought it might be fun to do some FAQ’s about The Specialists that aren’t listed on Shannon's website but that still frequently get asked.

Q: In Model Spy Chapling is my favorite character. Do you know a little person?

A: No I do not personally know a little person. Chapling very unexpectedly popped into the novel one day. For whatever reason the moment he did I saw a little person with fuzzy red hair and a level of hyperactivity that would zing him off the pages.

Q: Down To The Wire sure has a lot of people breaking into things. Have you ever broken into something?



A: Um . . . I’m pleading the 5th.

Q: Were you a cheerleader in high school? Is that how you know so much about it in The Winning Element?

A: No. I went to a cheer camp to research that book. In high school I played basketball but mostly was into my GPA. I know that sounds nerdy, but getting good grades was the one thing I was good at.

Q: How did you come up with all the languages you use in Native Tongue?

A: I have friends that speak both Spanish and German so I went to them for advice. When it came to all the Indian languages, I studied and listened to the cadence and then created my own versions.

Q: Bruiser seems to take over the stage in Fight To The Finish. I read somewhere she’s your favorite character.

A: Yes. I couldn’t help it. Bruiser is definitely my favorite character. It was hard for me to not let her take over every scene in every book. Who knows, maybe someday I’ll give Bruiser her own series.

About the author:

Shannon Greenland dreaded reading and writing as a kid. Ironic, as she’s now a successful award-winning author. Her 5-book series for young adults, The Specialists, as well as her other novels, received such honors as National Booksellers Best, Daphne du Maurier and Romantic Times recognition, National Readers Choice, CAPA nominee, Aspen Gold Readers Choice Award, Holt Medallion and the Popular Paperback award from the American Library Association.

Penguin Publishing launched Greenland’s latest novel The Summer My Life Began in May 2012, and brings her entire spy series to e-form this winter.

When not writing, Shannon’s eager for adventure outside of a book’s pages. Hiking, rafting, climbing, caving, swimming, snorkeling, sailing, surfing, mountain biking, spelunking, canoeing, power lifting, running, camping, para sailing . . . she’s done it all.

Originally from Tennessee, the world traveler divides her time between Florida and Virginia where she mentors, tutors, and teaches math and gives authors talks at area schools.

About the books:

Inspired from the hit television show Alias, Greenland’s book series begins with Model Spy (originally debuted in 2007) when 16-year-old Kelly James is caught uncovering top-secret information for her irresistibly cute and nice friend David. Rather than serve a jail sentence, she accepts the option to change her identity and enlist in a government spy agency that trains teen agents. Instantly, Kelly Spree, a.k.a. girl genius GiGi, is born and sent on her first mission as an undercover model with a partner she’s surprised to find as an agent himself.

The Specialists e-book release comes on the heels of Penguin’s publication of Greenland’s stand-alone novel The Summer My Life Began (read my review), which was chosen as a Hot YA Read by the She Knows Book Lounge.

Buy links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Indiebound

Find Shannon:  Website | Twitter  | Facebook | Goodreads

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